Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp: Day Trips and Tours from Berlin

Visiting a concentration camp isn't a light-hearted way to spend the day. Nevertheless, it's both important and extremely interesting to spend time at one of the many memorial sites when in Germany.

A day trip to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp from Berlin is a way to experience the history of the country and pay respect to its past.

Sachsenhausen is the closest Concentration Camp to the capital city of Germany, making it the main choice for day trips from Berlin.

How do I get to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp from Berlin?

Sachsenhausen is located in the town of Oranienburg, 35 kilometers north of the capital city of Berlin.

By car

Sachsenhausen memorial is a quick jaunt from Berlin by car. Coming north out of the city, take the A 111 motorway towards Hamburg. Continue until you reach the Oranienburg junction where you'll exit onto the A10.

Reaching the Birkenwerder exit, you'll take the B96 to Oranienburg where you'll start to see signs for the concentration camp memorial. The signs will be marked as "Gedenkstatte." The drive takes around 45 minutes.

By public transport

Public transport is by far the best way to get there, and free walking tours take you to Sachsenhausen via this method.

Take the S-Bahn line S1 out of the city from Wannsee to Oranienburg. Trains run every 20 minutes and the journey takes 45 minutes.

Then, opt to either catch the hourly 804 bus till Gedenkstätte or take a 20 minute walk from the station.

On a guided tour

Most guided tours also take you to Sachsenhausen memorial by public transport. You’ll meet at a centrally located spot in the city, most often outside the Starbucks opposite the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station.

Some private tours include transportation by van or car.

How much does the entrance ticket to Sachsenhausen cost?

While most people would expect a Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp excursion to incur an entrance fee, you don't need to purchase a ticket to enter the memorial and the museum.

However, there is a minimum donation requirement which provides an audio guide, and costs €3,50 per person, or €2,50 if you are in a group of more than 10 people and goes to The Friends of Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum charity.

What is the typical itinerary?

Sachsenhausen day tours begin in the city at a predetermined meeting point where you'll begin the day by traveling to your destination. The transfer time is short via public transport and once you arrive at the memorial, you'll be given a walking tour of the site.

You'll learn about the conditions in the camp, those who lived there and several heartwarming tales of bravery and resistance.

You'll be guided through different areas of the concentration camp, including what remains of the watchtowers and execution area. There are many statues and plaques to be seen, remembering those that were lost.

At the end of your day trip to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, your guide will escort you back to Berlin.

What kinds of tours are available to go to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp?

Guided tour to Sachsenhausen Memorial from Berlin

You'll make use of public transport to access the memorial site. Day trips to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp include a guided walking tour of the grounds to inform you of the uses of the camp.

• Duration: 5 hours and 30 minutes
• Price: From €29 per person
• Includes: Live tour guide, entrance fee
• Languages: English

Private tour to Sachsenhausen Concentrantion Camp

A private day tour to Sachsenhausen is guided by a leading military historian who has been trained by the military authority. It simplifies the travel process with a hotel pickup and drop-off.

• Duration: 6 hours
• Price: From €55 per person (depending on group size)
• Includes: Live tour guide, entrance fee, hotel pickup and drop-off*
• Languages: German, Swedish, Portuguese, English, Italian, French, Spanish

*this tour does not include private transportation – minivan transport option is available on other tours.

Free walking tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Free walking tours of Sachsenhausen set off from the center of Berlin where a local guide will accompany you on your journey to Sachsenhausen.

Once there, you'll take a guided tour of the grounds by foot before returning to the city. A minimum of 6 participants is needed on the tour in order for it to run.

• Duration: 6 hours
• Price: Free of charge — tip at the end how much you think it was worth
• Includes: Live tour guide
• Languages: Spanish

How much does a tour to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp from Berlin cost?

A guided day tour of Sachsenhausen includes a licensed tour guide and a donation made on your behalf to the memorial. Prices start at €23 and transportation tickets are at your own expense.

A private tour includes round-trip transportation to the site from your hotel. It also includes a heavily trained tour guide and prices start at €245 per group.

Free walking tours operate by allowing you to pay what you think the tour was worth at the end. All donations are welcome, and most participants tend to pay between €10 and €15.

What will I see at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp?

There are plenty of unsettling remains to be seen at the memorial which was built by slave laborers in 1936 before WWII broke out. The camp was originally used to train SS guards, then as a concentration camp for Jewish prisoners, and finally to imprison war criminals, including Nazis.

While walking through the memorial site, you'll be able to explore the chilling sites that remain, such as the barracks where prisoners were forced to live. These were rebuilt from original parts in 1961, in order to preserve their original form.

While inside the building, you'll view videos that recount life inside the camp, filmed by survivors.

The infirmary is another haunting place, which was used to prevent the spread of epidemics, but also to undertake medical experiments on prisoners. The medical facility was also known for torture and murder, and those thought to be homosexual underwent compulsory castration.

With up to 16,000 prisoners at certain points throughout the war, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp includes a crematorium, cellblocks, pathology laboratory, watch towers and execution grounds.

What are the opening times?

The memorial ground is open to visitors between 8:30 AM and 5 PM daily.

When is the best time to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp?

As the memorial site is mostly outdoor, try and visit during dry weather. While Berlin is known to be a rainy destination, May is one of the driest months with pleasant temperatures averaging around 19 degrees Celsius. The months that experience the most rain on average are June and July.

Prepare yourself for the cold weather, specially if you're visiting between November and March, since you'll be spending at least 3 hours outside!

Travel tips

• A day trip to Sachsenhausen can be an intense experience, so be emotionally prepared.
• The weather around Berlin can be unpredictable. Take an umbrella in case you get caught in a rainstorm.
• Be mindful of taking photos at the concentration camp memorial ground. While you are allowed to take photos in the grounds, photography is prohibited inside the museums.
• It's worth mentioning that once inside the memorial, no food is permitted. If you want to eat before your day tour of Sachsenhausen commences, there is a spot outside the information center where this is permitted.